(三) Heavy Material vs Light Material

◆  CNC machining is relied upon heavily by the aerospace, automotive and other industries for its ability to manufacture heavy material with high precision. However, the CNC machining has heat management systems and a powerful servo mechanism equipped to deal with heavy dense materials that the 3D printer cannot handle.

◆ The 3D printer has substantial limitations in creating multi-material parts and cannot layer denser materials. the additive layering process is fickle and underdeveloped, making it complex for a single material product, and nearly impossible to produce an item that requires more than one material type within its construction. While it has moderate prototyping functionality with plastic, it has yet to show any capacity for denser metals or heavier materials. 

(四) Small Products versus Large Products

 ◆ The CNC machining is a powerhouse industrial tool that has the capacity to produce the largest of parts such as those needed for aviation, nautical, construction, and automotive.

◆ The 3D printer at this stage cannot create any product bigger than a mini fridge, and even that product takes the 3D printer a few days to complete. The layering process is not meant for the creation of large products, which is a huge advantage for CNC machining. The 3D print primarily succeeds on the layering of smaller simpler designs. 

(五) Quality VS Hand finishing

◆ For the industries that the CNC router serves, one of the most distinguishing differences between these two machine types is their quality and tolerance sensitivities. 

◆  Whereas 3D printers are breaking into smaller markets with custom items, the products still require some form of hand finishing after production, making 3D printers less efficient than CNC machines. 

◆ Highly-detailed products that require a very high tolerance for accuracy is the expertise of a specialized CNC machining, like those made by US-based designer & manufacturer Diversified Machine Systems (DMS).